The Miracle Couch

The Miracle Couch

Lech Lecha: G-ds Involvement in all of life’s Details

By Ariella Bracha Waldinger

Many people believe in miracles but limit their belief to big ones, not ordinary everyday miracles. When you live in Israel, however, you see miracles every day, a constant affirmation of G-ds involvement in every aspect of our lives. Miracles are visible to us here every day because this is the Land of G-d’s Divine Providence. Most Israeli Jews live with this knowledge uppermost in their minds and acknowledge its truth. In fact, miracle stories in Israel are the topic of many conversations.

Some miracles stand out more than others and this happens to be one of those that will be forever etched in my mind and heart. It is this core Jewish belief in G-ds involvement in the smallest details of our lives that Avraham Avinu (Abraham our father) brought into the existence when he reached out to find the Creator of all. This week’s Torah portion of Lech Lecha teaches about it in great detail.

My husband and I were visiting friends who had moved to a new location. They were in the market for a new couch but didn’t have funds as of yet to buy one. The wife lives her life completely relying on Hashem, asking Him for everything including couches, washers and dryers…you name it and she asks for it and generally gets it too. Their couch situation was no exception. She told me she was hoping G-d would provide their couch very soon. I told her I couldn’t wait to see what it looked like and asked her if she had chosen the color she wanted. She laughed and said, she would take whatever G-d gave her. Her husband was used to her never ending faith and trust in G-d. At times it challenged him but mostly it brought him great joy.

My husband had errands to run and since his friend, her husband, was away on business, he left us on our own. My friend and I decided to go into town to explore, when what to our wondering eyes should appear? A COUCH ACROSS THE STREET. We raced across the street and there on the sidewalk were two couches: a sofa and loveseat. The love seat missing cushions but the big couch was in mint condition. We saw a man nearby and asked him if it was a give-away and he said yes and vanished inside his house. I jokingly asked her if the color was ok and she looked up at the heavens and said it’s just perfect. We stood there laughing and hugging like we had won the lottery. Wait till your husband hears this miracle story, I said! She laughed with a deep joy that comes from faith.

Our next step was whispering a prayer asking G-d to provide us with strong men to move the couch to their apartment across the street. We believed that if G-d was kind enough to give a couch, He would provide the movers too. We anxiously awaited our miracle men. There is not much traffic in their quiet residential neighborhood, so we were wondering how this was going to play out and how much time we would be waiting. Suddenly, after 5 or 10 minutes of waiting, I spied a lone man exiting his car and like an eagle ready to pounce on his prey, my friend raced to ask him for help, as I guarded the miracle couch. He approached with a jaunty walk of self-confidence and strength. He was about 5ft 10 inches, medium build around 35 years of age. He was visiting his grandparents, as he lived in the south. We asked him if he could help move the couch. He smiled and said, no problem. My friend and I stood there in awe wondering how on earth he planned to move this big, heavy couch by himself. We forgot one very important fact……he was ISRAELI and Israelis believe they can do anything. They don’t take no for an answer and they don’t give up and that was our trump card, so to speak.

Our new friend proceeded to stand the couch upright, bend over and with the couch on his back walked across two streets, through a park area, up five stairs until he reached their ground floor apartment. I was sweating just watching him. When he got to the apartment, I thought ok that’s it….he will probably leave it and say he has done enough, which he had. But he didn’t. He single-handedly tried to get the big sofa into a doorway that would not co-operate. He titled it this way and that way with such patience and persistence, that I stood there watching in shock. HE REFUSED TO GIVE UP! Finally, after all efforts had been expended, with no choices left, he decided to take the outer security door off its hinges, which he did with ease. He was then able to shove the couch through the door. We felt as if G-d had worked another miracle by expanding the doorway, as we heard the wood creaking. Baruch HaShem! we all said with deep heartfelt joy!

With sweat dripping down his handsome Israeli face, his next question almost knocked the wind out of me. Where do you want me to put the sofa he asked? My friend and I looked at each other in complete shock. He spoke English, so I asked him, are you Eliyahu HaNavi…Eliyahu the prophet?  He laughed and said no. We offered him a drink of water which he refused and we offered him money for his heroic help which he also refused. It’s a mitzvah he said and took his leave. After his departure, my friend and I walked up to each other, hugged and broke into tears of joy and gratitude, it was hard to stop the flow.

This man whom G-d sent to be our holy helper, bent both his back and his head for us. He lifted our hopes and dreams as he was lifting the couch. He carried away our worries, as he did exactly what we needed when we needed it.  He worked hard for us and he sweated for us. However, the most mind-blowing realization that struck us was that everything that was done for us was in truth done by G-d Himself in the guise of this holy man: this kind, beautiful Jewish soul with a heart of gold and a willingness to expend great energy to aide a fellow Jew.

Friends, this is the life you can experience in G-ds beloved Holy Land where miracles occur on a daily basis. You will have all your needs met by G-d Himself if you choose to come home with faith and trust. Your soul will be nourished not only by your personal miracles but by your friends as well: Soul food provided by G-d Himself. What else could compare?

With deep gratitude to HaShem for permitting me to witness first hand this wondrously, awesome miracle that He gifted to my friends. May we all merit to see miracles first-hand for ourselves, our friends and family, our nation and especially our Holy Land.

With Blessings of love and light, Ariella Bracha

Please share this story with all your friends, so G-ds name can be made great.